Billion Tree Campaign

Leading Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan showed his support for the United Nations' "Billion Tree Campaign" by planting a tree at the UN Asia-Pacific regional headquarters in Bangkok last Wednesday.

Bachchan was in Bangkok to promote the upcoming International Indian Film Academy (Iifa) Weekend and Awards, which will take place in Bangkok from June 6 to 8.

He was joined by Noeleen Heyzer, UN under-secretary-general and executive secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap); Hiroshi Nishimiya, deputy director of the UN Environment Programme (Unep) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific; and Latha Reddy, India's ambassador to Thailand and permanent representative to Escap.

The Billion Tree Campaign was launched by the Unep in January last year. Since then, close to two billion trees have been planted around the globe.

Along with a focus on tree planting, the campaign also highlights the importance of voluntary action by all sectors of society to address issues such as climate change, air quality and water, among others.

"Unep's Billion Tree Campaign, which is set to meet its two billion mark soon, is testimony to the tenacity and will of people to do their part," said Bachchan, an icon of the Indian film industry.

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